The Dream Within
by ChaosWEAPON
Summary: One choice made for one dream, that's all it can take to alter fate. UPDATE Chapter 5: Treno, the City of Lights, has more than just tourists within its gates.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: **Roughly three years ago, I started this little project, just getting into writing, and possessed of a myriad of ideas with no direction. Then I locked it away, and just now took another look as I replay FFIX. A few years have (I hope) matured my creative process, and I now know what I want this to be. I hope to work now on my style, and I'm hoping to see a move away from excessive detail and a step towards a more flowing, natural storytelling. Wish me luck, I'll need it. To any that remember this, I apologise for the abandonment- but I think it may turn out for the better, in the long run. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** All trademarked characters belong to their, eh, owners. People that are not me.

**The Dream Within**

**Chapter 1**

"...Are you okay, Vivi?"

Zidane glanced worriedly over to the small black mage. Vivi was gripping the railing with his red-brown gloves, staring downward through the blue sky, watching the ground rapidly depart beneath them.

"It feels like I'm going to be sucked into the sky." Vivi quietly replied, his voice somewhat distant. He didn't like heights, Zidane knew, and he figured that he should get Vivi inside the cargo ship before he stumbled, as was his habit.

Dagger opened the door, saying; "Perhaps we should go inside, Vivi." Vivi pulled his gaze away from the hypnotic scene below, stepping away from the railing. His fireglow eyes looked to Dagger's chocolate brown, nodding his assent. He politely waited for Dagger, but she motioned him inside, wanting to have a few words with Zidane. With a slight shrug, unnoticeable from his thick overcoat, Vivi stepped inside, watching his feet so he wouldn't stumble. Glancing up, Vivi was not prepared for the sight that greeted him.

_Wha-? They- The dolls- Alive?_

Vivi's eyes opened wide, staring at the now animated dolls, the same they had seen in the...place...below Dali. A strangled gasp escaped his throat. White canvas pants, violet overcoats, steeple hats, and shadowed faces, with only the oval fires of their eyes to dispel the blackness. Unheeding of Dagger's sudden call behind him, Vivi rushed forward, miraculously not tripping.

"H-hello?"

"..."

Please answer me..."

"..."

"Zidane!"

Dagger burst through the door, earning Zidane's undivided attention. The thief grinned, thinking she had come for something else, but sobered when he saw the look on her face. "What is it?" A million things that could have gone wrong zipping through his mind.

"It's Vivi!" Dagger moved aside so Zidane could enter. Tail worriedly flipping through the air behind him, Zidane surged forward into the shadowed interior. He stopped short, Dagger crowding behind him, nearly stepping on his tail. They both watched Vivi for a moment in silence, eyes following him as he traveled from black mage to black mage, desperately wanting answers he did not receive. Defeated, the small child walked back to the silent couple. Zidane was the first to break the tense quiet between them.

"Did you talk to any of them?"

Vivi shook his head without looking up. "N-no..." They could both clearly hear he was on the verge of tears. Dagger swiftly knelt down beside him, wanting to comfort, but unable to soothe. "I tried...again and again...but none of them...i-it's like...they don't even...see me at all..." Dagger murmured quiet nothings to the distressed child, her hands on his slumped shoulders. Vivi's hat covered her view of his eyes, but the hat trembled along with Vivi, showing an occasional glimpse of the sorrow it hid. Vivi's eyes had dampened, becoming the almost blue of a candle's flame. The sadness in those eyes could break the heart. Dagger looked away, silently bidding Zidane to leave. Nodding in understanding, Zidane crept towards the hatch. He had a ship to take over.

Dagger stayed by Vivi's side while his suppressed shudders subsided. These last few days had been hard on all of them, but she felt that it weighed especially hard on Vivi. He was still young and innocent...but he was being forced into situations that no child should have to deal with. And the worst part was, she had a feeling it wasn't over yet.

Steiner's familiar bellowing sounded from above, bringing a slight smile to Dagger's lips. So he had made it to the ship after all. Vivi looked up curiously, eyes following the direction of the noise. Steiner continued his tirade, muffled by the wooden planking and hum of the engine but still audible. "Scoundrel...Princess...thief..." Words floated down through the floorboards, accompanied by the clanking of Steiner's armor. Eventually, Steiner's shouting came to an end, and things were quiet once more. Dagger turned her attention back to Vivi, who seemed to have regained his composure.

"Are you alright, Vivi?"

"Y-yeah..." He seemed about to say more, when the ship gave a sudden lurch, throwing them aside. Now the black mages, silent golems only moments before, looked up. With the same unnerving quiet, they filed out to the hatch, disappearing into the sunlight above. With but a moment's hesitation, Dagger and Vivi hurried behind.

Unnoticed by all, the cargo ship's progress was marked by a silent hate.

The black mages marched to the cockpit, where Steiner could be heard bellowing at Zidane yet again. Steiner, mistaking the black mages for sentient crewmembers, began apologizing profusely. The mages said nothing, nor did they try to retake control of the ship from Zidane. They merely stood there, blank, unmoving. Vivi and Dagger had climbed out of the hatch, and were speaking about something near the bow of the deck. The conversation ended with Dagger leaving, headed toward the cockpit. Vivi paused to adjust his ever-present hat before turning to follow her.

Dagger never saw what happened, but the ozone crack, the smell of charred leather, and Vivi's outcry gave her all the understanding she needed. Whirling on her heel, she scrambled back to where she had left Vivi. The small black mage was on the ground, gazing up at his attacker with wide, frightened eyes. "Vivi! Are you okay?" Dagger rushed to his side, about to say more. The words died on her tongue when she saw what had assailed him.

The third Black Waltz stood imperiously upon the bow of the cargo ship. His ebony and sapphire were folded along his back, and the dark blue clothes he was draped in fluttered in the breeze. One violet-gloved hand hung down at his side, the fingers curved into cruel claws. The other hand gripped a carved and bladed staff. Eyes the color of burnt gold seared all they saw with the anger they possessed.

"So, No. 2 was defeated by a small child!" The monster scoffed. "You are no match against _my_ power!" Black Waltz No. 3 threw back his head and laughed, before raising his staff to bear. "Princess, stay there while I eliminate this child!" There was a quiet shuffling of feet on wood, and their view of the Black Waltz was blocked as a score of black mages, the same that had been running the cargo ship moments before, padded in front of them, blocking the angry Black Waltz's line of sight.

"Are you _protecting_ him?" No. 3 sputtered, not understanding why soulless dolls would do such a thing. As one, the mages turned to Vivi, glazed eyes meeting his for the first time. Ever silent, they turned back to the black Waltz. "...Nonsense. You are no different from mindless dolls! What can you do?" Vivi wanted to step forward, to do something, anything, but Dagger drug him to his feet, then hauled him to the cockpit. Dagger paid no attention to the Black Waltz yelling at the mages, intent on getting Vivi out of danger.

Once behind the relative safety of the glass, she looked back at the drama that was unfolding. The black mages had readied their Fire spells, the magic flames licking over their large gloved hands. It made no difference that there was one Waltz and four or five of them. Their red fire was no competition against his blue thunder. Explosions rocked the hull, a lightning storm striking the black mages. They were slammed to the floorboards, against the glass, and into the air. The thunder burst the cargo open, the contents spilling out. Black mages rained down, freefalling into the endless sky below. No. 3 laid ruin to the surroundings, possessing as much mercy as a guillotine. Vestiges of electric death curled their tongues over him; whispering promises of pain and suffering to all who dared defy him.

Vivi pressed his gloved hands against the glass, unmindful of the shards that whirled about in the storm. His eyes, glowing in distress, watched the slaughter. A ripple of magic escaped, unbidden in his distress, and pulsed through his fingertips to the clear pane. The glass shattered inside its frame, blocking the carnage from view. In shock, Vivi stepped away from the broken window, Dagger taking him into her arms lest he collapse.

"Wh-what cruelty!" Steiner's face was pale, disbelief in his voice. Dagger didn't believe it either. Distantly, she could feel Vivi trembling. She looked down at the small child, worried. He was standing still, just looking out the remaining window at the final Black Waltz. Everyone was. Steiner stood like a lump, not able to comprehend what had happened, while Zidane crouched nearby, tail still for once. Vivi finally stopped trembling, and was still but for the gasping breaths he tried to take. A moment of tense quiet prevailed, the only sound the humming of the engine.

An inhuman wail scattered all ordered thoughts, if any. Vivi gripped the brim of his hat, violently shaking his head back and forth, a terrible screech escaping his lips. Zidane jumped like a startled cat, tail bushing out in agitation. Steiner tried to whirl around, face the new threat, but got caught up in his armor. Dagger let go of him in surprise, backing away. Freed of all constraint, Vivi dashed outside the cockpit, directly for the sneering Black Waltz. "Master Vivi! Wait, I shall assist you!" Steiner clanked out after Vivi, trying to keep up with the now speedy black mage. Zidane turned hurriedly to Dagger. "We'll take care of the Black Waltz, you steer the ship!"

"Y-yes, alright..." Zidane continued. "Things are gonna get dangerous from here on out, and it's not too late to turn back. You can steer for South Gate, or turn back to Alexandria. Your choice!" Not waiting for a reply, Zidane ran from the cockpit, in the wake of Vivi and Steiner.

"W-why...? Why would you do such a thing? Weren't they your friends?" Vivi shouted up at the cold figure of No. 3. The Black Waltz slashed his arm through the air. "Fool! Do I look like some lowly black mage soldier?" Steiner clanked up, joining Vivi at the front line. "Even if they weren't your allies, what you did was reprehensible!" He shouted in his 'Righteous Anger' voice. The Black Waltz carelessly flung wide his arm, laughing with the same cruel demeanor that tainted all his actions. "Worry not about them: many more are being produced even now!" Zidane joined them now, drawing his twin blades in preparation of battle. No. 3 sneered, and chortled, "Ah, so the Princess's bodyguards have gathered. How very convenient." He raised his staff. "Prepare yourselves to die, o loyal fools. I will eliminate all who stand in the way!"

At the start of the battle, Zidane instinctively made a quick check of his teammates. Steiner seemed ok, in good health and properly equipped. He himself was fine, his daggers sharp and ready to slice. He glanced over at Vivi, half-expecting the little guy to Trance, he was so worked up. Zidane faltered, nearly dropped his daggers. Vivi hadn't Tranced, but _something_ was going on. Flickering flames of dark magical energy creeped over him, seeping into Vivi's coat, his hat, his boots. Zidane could feel raw emotion coming off of Vivi in nearly palpable waves, hurt and anger and a thousand other things, the kind of sick confusion that makes you sick to your stomach.

The tendrils of energy were moving faster now, changing Vivi's appearance as well as his power. His hat, worn and battered, regained the proud steeple shape it had once possessed. His pants, that ridiculous green and white stripe pattern, now fluttered once in the breeze before snapping still, no longer baggy but well-tailored, the stripes melting together into whorls of color.. His overcoat had banished the sky blue color it was known for, opting instead for a deep sapphire, reaching down to his knees. His boots had become shin-high thick leather, with delicate gold embroidery. '_Is this Vivi's Trance?' _Zidane thought distractedly. As a parting tough, the swirls of magic coalesced into runes and arcane insignia, weaving themselves into the fabric of the little mage's clothes and being. Then the shadow light withdrew, seeping back into the core of the now altered black mage. Zidane felt himself pale before adrenaline forced blood back into his face. Vivi had Tranced, or whatever it was, and Zidane had a curiously sinking feeling the biggest change was not in the mage's clothes or powers, but in his head. Vivi had adopted, perhaps unconsciously, a new and more aggressive fighting stance. One that he no doubt intended to put to good use.

No. 3 had spread his wings, rising loftily into the air. Steiner charged forwards, swiping with his heavy two-sided sword. And missed. Black Waltz No. 3 laughed at such foolishness. He was well out of range for any such attacks, and he knew it. Still laughing, he prepared to cast a Thundara spell that would leave them crying. He would-

A searing bolt of pain jarred No. 3 from his morbid thoughts. He had never felt such pain as this, of lightning that harmed him, not others. Furious, he looked to the source.

And found the little black mage, probably a defect. It seemed vastly different now, however. Before, No. 3 had sensed little magic within the pathetic creature. Now, the winged being could smell black magic in the thing's veins, and in the last flickers of lightning on its wrists. No. 3 hissed in rage. "Impossible!" Unbelievably, the child had readied a second spell, and released it without hesitation. This time, it was not a bolt of lightning, but a blizzard in miniature, the spears of ice piercing through their target. The assault knocked No. 3 to the ground, where he leaned upon his staff, gasping.

"You...you scum!" No. 3 spat out the words, glaring at the black mage child. The sapphire colors and magical energies drained away, retreating from Vivi's body like oil from water. Black Waltz No. 3, enraged and wounded, opened his wings with an audible snap, shouting as he was lifted into the air. "I exist only to kill!" He quickly vanished from sight.

Steiner was the first to recover. "This is becoming bothersome! How many of these do we have to fight!" He was jumping up and down, rattling his armor in agitation. Zidane answered with more calm in his voice than he felt. "I think that was the last one." Steiner stopped jumping and scrutinized Zidane with no small measure of distrust. "How would you know?"

Vivi stood apart from them, not listening to the arguments. He was staring at a lone mage's hat, which had been impaled upon a splinter of wood. The energy and vibrancy he had displayed in battle had vanished, leaving him exhausted. He vaguely heard Steiner and Zidane depart for the cockpit, heard Steiner yelling about something. He didn't care. It was all too much...

"Dagger, stay on course no matter what!" Zidane gripped the railing next to the steering wheel as Steiner turned the power up. The Black Waltz had confiscated an airship, and was in hot pursuit. Zidane could hear the smaller craft's roar even over the rumble of the cargo ship. Worriedly, he looked around to make sure everything was safe. Blinking, his eyes swept the small room again. Vivi was missing. He thought that Vivi had followed him inside. Zidane looked to where he had last seen him. The small black mage was there, by the railing. He was looking at what seemed to be a steeple hat stuck to the side. Cursing, Zidane stumbled out and across the lurching deck.

Vivi heard the sudden roar of an engine and ducked, just as something huge passed over his head. The mage's hat was torn from the railing, fluttering like a bird with broken wings to the ground below. He could hear the Black Waltz shouting over the noise, repeating the same phrase over and over again. "I exist only to kill! I exist only to kill!" No. 3 looked back at Vivi, steadying the ship so he could have a clear shot at the cause of such pain. His eyes flared into bloody brilliance. The magic that coursed through his winged body answered his fevered call, summoning forth thunder and lightning for which to smite the insolent child. Blue death flickered at his fingertips.

Zidane tried to hurry across the swaying and jouncing deck, his tail out behind to help with balance. He saw the Black Waltz ready a spell, Thundara undoubtedly. Vivi stood meekly nearby, awaiting the coming punishment like a lamb to slaughter. Cursing again, Zidane redoubled his efforts to save the little guy.

Vivi closed his eyes for a short moment; the image of No. 3 and his coming lightning still burned into his eyelids. No. 3 would kill Vivi's friends if given the chance. Vivi could feel tears threatening to spill out of his fireglow eyes. His black mage eyes. Distantly, he thought he could hear Zidane swearing and the sound of encroaching footsteps. More importantly, though, he could feel the magic building in No. 3, feel it taking shape...

Vivi's eyes snapped open, resting on the menacing figure of the Black Waltz. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. He could see the lightning No. 3 had summoned, knew that it was intended for him. Vivi could feel his own magic, waiting. He seized it, his hands rising unbidden. A ring of fiery runes, born from a language long since forgotten, circled him, shaping the Firaga in his hands. He released it, sent the magic's pulse towards the Black Waltz. The fire reached the ship before the lightning could be cast. With a deafening explosion, the smaller airship ricocheted off course.

Vivi kept his hands in the air in front of him a moment longer. He had never cast such heavy magic before, and it had drained him utterly. His eyes closed, and he collapsed into darkness.

Zidane couldn't even react to what he saw. Vivi had cast some heavy-duty magic, and then collapsed. The Black Waltz had been blasted pretty hard, but he didn't think he was done yet. After what seemed an eternity, Zidane reached the downed black mage. He grabbed Vivi's collar, and dragged him back toward the safety of the pilot's area with ease. He never ceased to be amazed at how lightweight the little guy was. For all appearances, he seemed short but thick, much like the other black mages had been, except they had been taller. The heaviest thing about him was probably the coat he always wore, and even the heavy blue canvas wasn't much.

A sudden lurch in the ship broke him from his already scattered thoughts, and served to throw them both across the deck. Vivi almost went overboard, but Zidane still had a deathgrip on the mage's coat. They could both see Black Waltz No. 3, who was closer than Zidane had thought. The dark mage crackled with electricity, preparing to fry them both with a thunder spell. The sounds of growing flames were heard, and the lightning tendrils were ceased. No. 3 looked back, watching the flames he had inadvertently set. He turned back, a panicked and disgruntled expression in eyes the same color as the flames.

The explosion came just as the cargo ship sped past the rapidly closing gate. The heat and smoke blinded them. This was compounded by the fact that the gate closed on the exploding airship. Zidane tried to pull Vivi back in to the ship, and tugged on his coat.

The cold of the ice cavern, the flames of Black Waltz No. 2, and the battles with No. 3, all of this proved to be too much for the fragile straps of leather cording that bound the coat together. At Zidane's pull, the straps across Vivi's chest stretched, frayed, and finally snapped. Zidane felt a sudden release of a light weight, and watched, horrified, as Vivi slipped out of the coat's embrace. He looked up with wide, frightened eyes at Zidane, who made a desperate but futile grasp for the child.

Zidane kept his hand outstretched even as Vivi plummeted to the unforgiving earth below.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Dream Within**

**Chapter 2**

Zidane fell to his knees, still holding the black mage's jacket. Through a mist of encroaching tears he saw that the straps had broken, and absently wondered what had weakened them so. The sound of clanking armor was not enough to draw him from his contemplation of the traitorous leather.

"Wh-where is Master Vivi?" Steiner asked with a tone he usually reserved for asking about the princess. "He's gone..." Zidane answered, his voice barely a whisper. Steiner heard it, however. "What do you mean, 'gone'? We're on an airship! Where could he possibly get to-" Steiner seemed to look at the stunned thief for the first time, seeing the slight tremble of his body, and the coat in his hands, the straps fluttering like the wings of broken birds. His face paled beneath the helm. "H-he didn't...?"

Dagger walked over, leaving the wheel braced in position by her rod. "Who didn't do what? And where's Vivi?" She looked worriedly at Zidane, then Steiner, the shifted her gaze back to Zidane. He spoke again, his voice hoarse and quiet. "I tried to save him...but...he...the straps...I couldn't...and he just kept falling..." Dagger's eyes widened in shock, traveling rapidly from Zidane, to the coat in his hands, to the burningly blue sky that surrounded them. "No..."

To nobody's surprise, Steiner refused to let this go quietly. "How could you! Master Vivi...grr, this is your fault! If you hadn't tried to kidnap the princess in the first place, none of this would have happened! And Master Vivi would still be here!" Dagger tried to calm the angry knight down, pretending not to notice the tears that streaked down both their faces. Zidane said nothing, did nothing, only gazed unseeing into the blue void.

Vivi's coat, the same blue as the distant skies, lay forgotten on the deck. His staff lay broken beside it.

The merciless terrain hurtled closer with each passing breath, seeming to want to pull Vivi into its rocky jaws. In shock over the past seconds events, Vivi fell numbly, not feeling the wind against his cheek or the taste of smoke on the air. All he saw was the outstretched hand of Zidane, which quickly melted into the retreating hull of the airship.

_Did he...let go of me? _

With the distancing of the cargo ship, the situation slammed home to the confused black mage. With a gasp Vivi looked down, wondering how the ground had gotten so close. It looked like it was rising up to meet him, far faster than Vivi would have thought it could. One more strong gust of wind buffetted him, and Vivi fell through a cloud of black, choking smoke. Gasping and coughing, he exchanged the dark of the burnt air for the dark of the trees as he hit the boughs with a resounding CRACK.

The snapping of branches and the somewhat inevitable "Thud!" of impact drove away the small forest animals and startled the birds into flight, leaving, at the end of his ride, one unconcious black mage in a small forest clearing. Within a few minutes of silence, the birds returned, singing their songs and paying no heed to the new addition to their forest. It was some time after that, as the sun went down, that another addition made its presence known.

The forest's inhabitants had never seen this creature's likeness before, and would never again; indeed, there were perhaps a handful of humans in the world who had, and most beasts who stumbled across that particular corner of the world fled on some buried instinct. The few who possessed enough willpower to refute the intimidation of the island fled upon contact with its residents. Dragons had been known to rush, screeching, into the ocean to escape, before labourously taking flight in search of safer shores.

But these creatures here had never seen her, and since she seemed neither predator nor human, they did not fear her. They might have, had she strode into the clearing in the rampaging gait of her wilder cousins, but today she walked with a quiet reverance, the same slow pace she half-remembered from the days before she had been Called, walking to the sacred altar before prayer. Tiny hooves made no prints in the grasses and moss, the vegetation seeming more vibrant where the dark-colored Yan walked.

It had been a long journey, but distance is no object to a natural spirit such as she and her companions, the so-called "Friendly Monsters," epecially not when on a mission. This was proved when, as Yan sat down quietly to wait, a faint rustling in the bushes announced that the spirits had already began to gather, as Jabberwock slithered into the clearing.

Yan couldn't help but smile. Jabberwock was her favorite of her fellow spirits, if such a thing was possible. He was lost in his own thoughts, murmurring nonsense words to himself. There were numerous places where the sunlight failed to gleam properly off his glossy purple scales. Most notable was a strip, almost an inch wide, that circled his neck. Yan had never quite screwed up courage enough to ask him if he remembered a time before his Calling, and she didn't think she ever would. Out of all of them, even Yan, who remembered burning, Jabberwock knew the most about scars. Especially those that couldn't be seen.

Jabberwock looked up as he ented the clearning, bobbed his head in a greeting, then turned towards the sound of yet more vistors. A brown Mu, looking for all the world like an overgrown squirrel from a children's book, darted in from under some low-lying bushes, just as a soft ring heralded the apparition of wise old Ghost, floating serenely through the leaves. A giggle and a swirl of glitter and Nymph appeared, who immediately began teasing Ghost. Ghost merely folded his 'arms' into his drifting sleeves, the very embodiment of patience. It was an old game, and Yan had to smile. In over 300 years, nobody had cracked Ghost's composure, and Yan didn't think Nymph was going to suceed in ruffling his feathers any time soon. Ghost had been a member of a monastic order long, long ago, and his sense of balance and patience had only improved since he had heeded the Call.

The newcomers greeted Yan softly, and she acknowleged them, every bit as graceful as she had ever been. Then, loud voices through the trees announced Ladybug and whoever she was talking to. Or at, considering- Garuda didn't appear to be listening, as was his wont. "...I've never seen a Moogle wear anything, much less a hood and cloak! Have you, Gar- oh! Hello, Yan, everyone! So what's the meeting- oh...heh, sorry." Ladybug flushed and fell silent as she saw the unconcious figure, obviously thinking he was asleep. Garuda simply tucked his wings and bowed. Courtly graces were fine for humans, but for an avian every move had to be perfected to remain aloft. Garuda had spent decades practicing.

Yan spared a moment to glance around, counting. Six so far. But that was fine, because a slight breeze carried the scent of spring and the sound of grasping footfalls, indicating that the two stragglers were not far behind. Sure enough, as everyone selttled in, the emerald Feather Circle and the leaf-green Yeti ambled in. Yan did not mind that they were late- Yeti was landbound, and slow moving besides. Feather Circle, though able to fly faster than Yeti could walk, hated to be alone, so Yan was not surprised that he had teamed up with Yeti for the trip. Yan quickly acknowledged their presence, then motioned for silence.

"You know why I called you here. This is the boy."

A few excited whispers broke out at this, but most just contemplated the still form of Vivi in silence. His coat was gone, as well as his padded gloves- they had caught on the coatsleeves, but had not held long enough to save him from the fall. His striped pants, too, were absent- though in pieces in the upper branches of the trees, rather than clutched in Zidane's hand. His hat hung from a branch a few feet up, looking if possible even more battered than before.

Fortunately for Vivi, the loss of his outer garments had not left him naked; light grey canvas pants remained tucked into his brown boots, and a simple linen shirt of a dark purple covered his chest. Or at least tried, as it was torn and badly scratched from the fall. Vivi himself was scratched up as well, though at first glance anything would be difficult to discern; his skin was so dark, it looked like a hole cut in space. Nearby light seemed to darken if it got too close, as though it was swallowed up by nothing. It was very hard to focus on his features, the eyes of an onlooker seemed to want to slide past him and onto other, brighter, more natural things; but close observation yielded evidence of his passage through the brush in the form of tiny, weeping cuts, oozing a thick dark substance that reflected light as grey, but was itself quite black. A few splotches of this 'blood' were soaking into Vivi's shirt, plastering the linen to his skin and acting as a bandage. Another splotch was seeping through his hair, a short-cropped mass that felt like cornsilk, but had no color. Apart from where Vivi's blood was staining it, his hair was colorless, not even white, and maintained the not-quite milky translucense of the bubbly glass in a storm-window. Vivi's eyes were closed, so his face seemed blank and featureless, but his hair at least framed where his face should be.

"Oh, he's adorable-"

"Small human-child! Too small!"

"Hm, not the most impressive specimen, but-"

"Hehehe, you can't even see his face, it's all-"

Yan listened to her fellows, making note of any arguments and readying herself to defend against them. The boy was their only chance. It could work, she knew it, but she would need all of her fellow's cooperation. She could read expressions like a book, and from what she saw, this would be no mean feat. Mu was apprehensive, knowing nothing that could help. Yeti was angry, but that was hardly different from normal. Ladybug alternatively exclaimed over the child's inherent cuteness and cast hawk-sharp looks to her companions- no fool was she, and Yan knew that however much she might be able to glean from expressions, it didn't hold a candle to Ladybug's eye for interaction. Feather Circle was silent, lost in his own meditations. Ghost was carrying on a conversation with Garuda, discussing what they knew and what they did not. Nymph sighed, bored already with the confusion, and knelt near the boy to study him further. To Yan's surprise, Jabberwock sidled over to where Nymph was, and they began comparing quiet observations.

"Enough." The muttering ceased, and the creatures in the clearing returned their attention to Yan. "Yes, the vessel is small and the flesh is weak, but it is not the flesh we need to be concerned with."

Ghost nodded. "Though this child is a golem, he was forged from blood and bone rather than cloth and dust. His spirit is bound in his flesh, leaving his soul wide and empty. If Yan believes that what she is proposing can be accomplished, I feel that we would be wise to seize the chance we have with this boy."

"Foolishness." Garuda, now, feathers ruffling in agitation. "The Oversoul is great, too large to be housed in flesh, Lady. You know this. It would tear the boy apart."

Yan's answer was quick- after all, in all the years of exile on her island, she had thought of nothing else. "The whole does not need to be contained. If we bind them, Seeker to the soul and soul to the fleshly spirit, it will be enough." Oversoul was Garuda's word, and it tasted strange on her tongue. Seeker was a name closer to her memory, and Yan cursed her slip. Memories were dead, and so was he. But that was the problem, wasn't it? He was dead, but not gone.

She hesitated, knowing her next statement was proposing the nigh-impossible. "If they are bound, the boy would find Him. And then he and his friends could disrupt His physical form."

Yan expected an outcry, and was not dissappointed. Among the gasps and Yeti's snarls, Mu's quiet voice piped up. "Okay, but... he's a doll, right? Will he live that long?"

Yan stood silent. She didn't know. And from the quieting of the clearing, neither did the others. She knew her worry could be seen in her eyes, and she wished vainly for Ghost's calm countenance. The silence was heavy and stifling, so when silent Feather Circle, who never said anything if someone else could, spoke it was with a mixture of surprise and hope that the creatures listened. Feather Circle's domain was the curative arts, and after studying the tiny mage with senses mundane and otherwise, probably knew more about him than the rest of the spirits combined.

"Mortals live, Golems last." He paused, then added, "Cloth rots, flesh heals."

Yan smiled. He was being unusually straightforward today, but he had made a point. If he said Vivi would be fine until they could finish the binding, then he knew Vivi would last until then. "Are there any other objections?"

The clearing was quiet, and Yan was about to speak when Jabberwock, her favorite, her friend, raised his fish-like head and spoke, eyes sad and dim.

"He's mimsy and mome, and all alone. How is he to fight? No blade, no pistol, no staff no friends. His road is wirtching far."

He was trying to be sensible. Yan only heard a few words from whatever tongue he sang to himself in. But even if any there could not understand what he said (and there were many), they got the ideas behind the sounds. He had a very long way to go, not just to find his companions- and as Yeti had insisted from the first moment, he was small, and weak, and at the moment he was very unconcious. He was going to need help if he was going to last long enough to be of use to them.

"He's so alien to us- how can we help if our magics are too far away from him to hold him up?" Feather Circle, again. That was twice in one evening he had spoken- positively chatty.

Yeti was frowning- not unusual for him. He had been seriously considering how to beat the tiny black thing into shape the entire time the others had been talk talk talking. Silly, really- everyone knew they were going to go along with Yan. But for some reason they needed to convince themselves. No matter- Circle was the heart of healing, but for there to be medicine there must be understanding of the body, and that was Yet's chief occupation. The boy was too small, much too small, and there was no way to make him bigger and stronger without letting him grow up. And this little thing grew like a tree, slowly over centuries. Too slow, much too slow, would never last to stand tall.

Jabberwock and the others were now all debating over how best to reinforce the boy's abilities. Foolish- he knew it, and Circle had already said it; it was too alien, to far removed from nature for them to coddle it in magics. At best, a tweak here and a tweak there, then lots and lots of luck and practice were the best options. Yeti almost sighed, then settled for a grunt. They just didn't get it. The answer was already there.

"Circle! Flesh heals- too slow, get hurt! Make human-boy go faster!"

Yeti could see Circle smiling. He never said something if someone else could, and Yeti was the same.

Yan seemed to think this out. "That...could work. That would work well. Circle, if you would lead us in this after the binding is begun? Excellent." She smiled, looking at her companions. They were ready for what lie ahead, and she had waited so long she was almost trembling now that it had begun. "If there are no more objections?"

An easy silence settled in the clearing, the only sound Vivi's soft breathing.

"Let us begin."

Miles away, Zidane Tribal was drunk.

He didn't look it. For all his rowdy ways, Zidane Tribal was a sullen drunk. He sat on the stool at the counter of the slightly dingy little eatery and bar he had fled to, the moment that the immediate business with the Regent was concluded. Dagger was staying with her uncle, Rusty had wandered off who knew where, and Zidane had headed somehere he could cure what ailed him. If he knew he was being watched, he didn't seem to care. He certainly didn't get up, demand to know what the watcher's problem was, and leave the bar.

_'Of course,'_ Freya mused, _'that might be because he's too far gone to remember how to walk.'_

Freya had watched him wander in at four 'o clock in the afternoon, pick at the soup he'd ordered, then commence drinking. He hadn't tried to pick up a single girl since he'd walked in the door. Freya tilted her head back and downed the last of her drink (some sort of fruit mix, with a splash of alcohol- she'd had to order more since Zidane walked in, to justify keeping an eye on him without ever admitting that fact) before getting up from her stool. She was a trifle unsteady, but that was okay- if she was determined to listen to a drunk Tribal bitch and moan, she might as well be drunk herself. Hard-nailed Burmecian toes tapped across the floor a grand total of two feet before plunking down again as Freya comandeered the stool next to Zidane. He at last noticed her presence.

"F-Freja? Oh, man, Freja! Hevvent seen you in years...!"

Freya's eyes widened. He was pretty far gone, to be twisting her name around like that. "Yes, yes, been awhile. You going to tell me why you started drinking before five?" Freya gave a mental cringe as she watched his eyes grow sad and his shoulders droop. He was pretty broken up about something. Or someone. _'She must have been something special to get him down this badly. Well, that's what he gets for breaking hearts.'_

"Okay, okay, see, me an' the crew were goin' te Alexandria on a missun, righ'? An' while I was there, I met sumbuddy..."

_'Oh, yeah. It's going to be a long night. Man, why did I volunteer to sit around and listen to this monkey?'_

"He was just this kid, yknow? Just a kid, but he culd cast some relly awesome magic, like, throw fireballs, an'shit..."

_'Yep, here comes the sob story about How She Left- wait, what?'_

A few hours later Zidane would be done speaking, or at least be far enough gone to stop being remotely coherent, and Freya would drag him upstairs to her room. She let him pass out on the armchair while she slept in the bed, because though Zidane was a friend, it was her room and in the morning he'd be too hungover to notice the cramped muscles, anyway. Freya stayed awake for a bit, fighting the buzz of the liquor in her brain, trying to wonder what part of Zidane's tale was more like bullshit- that he had kidnapped the princess, or that he'd met a boy he swore was a Black Mage, something that hadn't existed for years and years.

Freya fell asleep before she could decide.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Dream Within**

**Chapter 3 **

It was very dark, and it was very quiet.

…_I'm not moving anymore…_

Something blacker than the night air shifted, twitching on the flattened grass beneath it. A not-quite-silent gasp affirmed that the body was, indeed, alive.

_Why does it hurt…?_

_What happened…?_

…_Where am I…?_

Vivi opened his eyes. He was drained of magic, and hurt and tired besides, so the amber glow did very little to dispell the dark around him. But the stars were still above, and though there was no moon tonight, it was enough for Vivi's darkened eyes to deduce that he was, in fact, on the ground. And not on the airship. Vivi winced, conciousness reminding him of all the little sore spots from sleeping on twigs, small rocks, and proabably a few small branches. So he wasn't on a bed, either.

Vivi sniffled, then pulled himself up into a seated position, dragging his knees up to his chest. It was cold, too. He tried to pull his coat closer around him.

_Hmm? My coat! Where's my coat!_

He quickly took stock of his person, eyes glowing a bit brighter now that he was thinking, moving.

_And where are my gloves? My belt, my pants?_

His ears twitched as a passing breeze chilled them. Vivi gasped and clapped his gloveless hands to his head.

_My hat too!_

It was official. Even with his boots, even with the thick white pants he'd worn under the outer layers, even with the filmy dark shirt he could feel plastered to his skin, without his gloves and his hait, Vivi felt naked. He shuddered, then curled himself up tighter and sobbed into his knees. His hat was his security blanket, it kept him safe from light, and stares, and his own stuttering shyness. And now it was gone.

Vivi couldn't help but cry harder. He was alone, and exposed, and _cold_- Vivi couldn't stand being cold. Even the Ice Cavern hadn't made him cold. His magic had had always been burning under his skin like a furnace, and all the ice hadn't made him cold, it was just everything else, and the contrast had made him feel sick and fevered. But now he was cold, and alone, and the sun when it came was going to be smiling while it burned him-

Vivi sobbed. He hadn't felt this bad since Grandpa had passed. Somehow, the thought made him feel sick, made his stomach curl and shiver. How could he think that this was worse than that? And of course thinking about Grandpa dying made him feel worse, remembering.

When Granpa Quan had fallen asleep, and couldn't wake up no matter how much Vivi shook him, no matter how loudly he'd called or pleadingly he'd asked, Vivi had desperately gone to Treno in search of a doctor. He himself had never seen one- on the occasion that Vivi had taken ill, Grandpa would tuck Vivi in bed and leave him a book to read, then go to Treno for medicine. He'd never told Vivi, but Quan had correctly assumed that having Vivi examined would not only prove traumatic to the young mage, but that it might prove traumatic to the doctor as well. But he'd said that one could find almost anything in Treno, there were so many people, and since that's where he went for medicine, some of those people had to be doctors. So he'd ran to Treno.

It had not been a fun experience. He'd been lucky the guards hadn't attacked him outright- he'd always been with Quan before, and it was one thing for a guard to watch a Qu emerge from the darkness; it was quite another to watch twin spots of glowing amber come rushing out of the night. What ever diety guarded over luck had been working overtime that night, keeping Vivi safe. One of the guards had kept his head long enough to recognise the shape of a person connected to the eyes, and had been patient enough to listen. Once he'd gotten the gist of Vivi's stammering, he'd taken the young mage to the hospital.

The nurses had been a nightmare, trying to calm him down and ask where his parents were, and what his name was, and where did it hurt and no matter how much he tried to tell them his Grandpa was _sick_, he needed a _doctor_, they just kept repeating themselves, fake smiles and scared eyes and hands hovering, not wanting to touch. And finally, someone spoke to him instead of at him.

_'Here now, what's all this? Child, whatever is the matter? Nurse Sharon, what's going on?'_

The pretty young woman in white with the not-quite-real smile had stood up and called him 'Doctor', and Vivi leapt up and turned around-

-to find a short, kind man, with round glasses and a nose that took up most of his face. He'd put his hands on Vivi's shoulders, and asked the same questions as the nurses, only his smile was real and concerned. He'd asked who and where his Grandpa was, then told the nurse to get the field team. He'd promised to do whatever he could for Grandpa Quan. But there had been nothing to do, when Vivi had led the man called Doctor and his hospital team to Quan's home.

Nothing except bury the body, and take Vivi gently in his arms as he explained that his Grandpa was not going to wake up.

Later, the nice Doctor had taken him back to Treno, and asked if he had any parents. When he'd shaken his head, the Doctor had asked if he had a Grandma, or an Uncle or Aunt or any other family. Again, Vivi had shaken his head. The Doctor had sighed, then squeezed Vivi's shoulder with his hand, and said,

_'Well, that's alright. We'll find someone to take care of you.'_

then he'd asked him to wait there, outside the Doctor's door, while he talked to the cold white lady named Sharon. So Vivi waited, and figeted his hands, and listened to the words from the closed door.

_'Sharon, I want you to get the file with the foster homes listed- the boy's an orphen now, and we can't leave him by himself.'_

_'Doctor, you can't be serious. Have you looked at it?'_

_'Yes, and I see a small boy with no family. Have you got that file?'_

_'That is no boy, Doctor- and it's no Qu child either.'_

_'Are you suggesting that Vivi is a girl?'_

_'Wha- no! Doctor, how do you even know that thing is human? It's probably some little mist-monster the Qu dredged out of the swamp!'_

_'Now, Sharon-'_

_'And if it is human, who would take him? There aren't many families in Treno that would want a child at all, much less-'_

_'I'll take him myself, then. I'm going back to Alexandria soon, anyway, I just need to find those books I wanted the Princess to read...'_

A walk had sounded really, really good to Vivi right about then.

Now Vivi sniffled, trying to quiet his sobs. He remembered he'd wandered out of the night-city, and eventually wound up back home. He'd spent a few, aimless weeks just grieving, and it felt like he was wrapping his Grandpa up in soft tissue and tucking him back in a quiet corner of his mind, and slowly, he'd felt better. He'd cleaned the house, found nothing left to do, then shut the door behind him. He'd gone back to Treno, but the Doctor was gone, so he'd decided that he would just have to accept that he was alone.

Vivi had cried himself out, now, and was quickly falling asleep when an odd thought struck him. _Zidane said he'd take care of me- does that make Zidane a 'foster'? Is he supposed to be family now...? _Vivi couldn't help but giggle at the image that arose, unbidden, of Zidane and Dagger and Steiner in Quan's house, Zidane wearing an apron and tossing flour at a bellowing Steiner while Dagger tried not to laugh. It was such an out-of-place thought, Vivi couldn't help laughing. Thus cheered, he slipped into dreams.

_**---Wind and water, sky-ocean, listen to the life-liquid call...cloud fiend Tiamat, deep fiend Kraken, bound be binding breath and viens---**_

Vivi woke with a start.

Birds had just begun cheeping and singing early-morning songs, the sun yet to truly break the trees, but there was a gentle pink glow blushing in the sky. Vivi shook his head, rubbing a hand through his hair. He'd been dreaming, he thought...but it slipped away, dissolving in the morning, as dreams do.

Vivi yawned himself awake, then pushed himself to his feet. He looked down at himself, and made a face. He was a mess- dirty and scratched up, and now covered in dew. His shirt, epecially, was in bad shape- it was stained and torn, and stuck to his skin in odd places. He stuck a small grey tongue out at himself, then giggled. At least he wasn't cold anymore- his magic had returned with sleep, and was once again heating him like a furnace. The dew was quickly evaporating, he was pleased to note.

Now Vivi took stock of his surroundings, as even with the sun not yet up, there was more than enough light to see by. At least, for him there was- despite not having a pupil, a Black Mage's eyes could adjust to most dark places, and though sight might not be very clear or at all colorful, almost anything short of pitch-black could be seen through. Last night had seen no moon and a lot of Mist over the trees, so the surroundings were as good as new to Vivi. He was in a small clearing of a forested area, and there was a definte slope to the ground. Vivi frowned; he must be on the mountain, below the treeline, and near the Gate. He'd thought he would have fallen a bit further from the side of the mountain. _But,_ he supposed, _the wind was blowing pretty hard...and I'm pretty light, I guess. Besides, we were moving so fast, of course the airship looked further than I was. _He nodded to himself, an old habit he'd never broken, then reached up to adjust his hat. Which wasn't there, of course.

Vivi supressed a sigh. His hat had been there for longer than he could remember, since his Grandpa had fished him out of the sky. The sky was getting lighter, and the birds louder, and Vivi looked up in apprehension. The sun didn't burn him, per se- but it stung. Bright sunlight certainly felt like burning, and the one time that Vivi could remember going out uncovered at high noon, he'd sworn he could see his skin smoking. Vivi was so busy looking to the sky, trying to figure how much time he had before the sun got hot and vindictive, and wondering if he should hide until nightfall, that he almost didn't notice what was hanging in the branches. When he did, he gave a happy-sounding cry.

His hat! It was caught on a few branches, just a few feet above him. The yellowed leather, battered but lovingly kept, was heavy with moisture, and it looked like a good stiff breeze could topple it down. Of course, if a breeze was not available, then a good dose of icy shards should work.

The magic came easily to his fingertips, the chill swimming in his veins and exploding through the air. There was a great tinkling crack, and the hat- complete with tiny icicles- plopped into Vivi's waiting arms. He hugged it, then placed it firmly on his head. Now he wouldn't have to wait until nightfall! The hat would keep him safe from the sun until noon, and he could take a break then under something shady. Dirty, and still coatless, Vivi nonetheless had a spring in his step as he set off downhill, towards Lindblum.

Before they became a 'lost' class, it was said that a dedicated Ranger grew to know every trail in his or her forest, every deer track and stream. Those more mysticaly inclined said that a Ranger in the chosen forest knew everything that happened there, and everyone that trespassed, so connected were they to their home.

Mu knew every leaf, twig, and drop of water in every forest of the world. If she concentrated, she could hear the mutterings of moogles through a faraway mountian crack, hear the chirping of owls in a forest near Conde Petie...

"Oof! ...ow"

...or the tripping of a young black mage in the forest they both currently inhabited. Mu, who was sitting on the branch of a tree not thirty feet away from where Vivi was picking himself up off the ground, shook her head. For all the the child was tied to a tread of fate so woven to the Great Tapestry as to become legend, he sure didn't make a very impressive figure. Seeing the mage on the move again, Mu leapt to another branch in a tree ten feen away without a thought. Yan had decreed that the child be watched, to make sure he found his freinds and to make sure the Binding was sucessful. Mu didn't doubt that it had gone just fine. After all, it was only a highly dangerous and experimental work of magic that had not been attempted in thousands of years. Nothing to worry about.

That was Mu's motto, not to worry. Most ill luck would blow over, events tended to resolve themselves if left alone, and even if something was worrisome, worrying wouldn't help or change it. If something was going to happen, it would happen, no matter how hard you tried to stop it. Mu had done that a lot, she remembered; worry about things, worry about people, fight against what couldn't be changed. She knew better now. Being Called had opened her eyes.

All of the so-called "Friendly Monsters," natural spirits tied to the world, had been Called. Always with a capital 'c' was that, oh yes, every time it was mentioned you could hear that capital, since the first time you hear it in your head. Mu wasn't sure where the Call came from, nome of them were, but they agreed how it happened, most times. You'd have a name, a mortal life, and then you'd be dying, and just when you slip into that in-between where everything lets go and you haven't caught onto anything else you'd hear time or Fate or maybe the world itself Call your name. You'd take over where the last Mu or Yeti or Yan had left off, when their time was up and yours just begun, so you'd slip off the Tapestry's loom and they'd get back on. Eventually, someone else would take your place, and the cycle went on. Their memories erased just like yours, so both can start clean and fresh.

Of course, souls are old things, or at least a lot of them are. Newer ones wipe clean easier, but they're not so strong, or experienced, or whatever the requirement for Friendly Monsterhood is. So the memories don't all wash off. Mu didn't think that was such a bad thing- after all, if you remembered nothing else, how were you supposed to accept a duty with a time limit? It made it easier to deal with if you knew there was something else, and this was just a side stop. _'That's why mortals worry so much. They don't care about what else might be, they're too concerned with what is.'_

Mu didn't worry about any of that anymore. She knew better, now. The others tended to worry- about the future, about the present, about what past there was for them. Jabberwock spent his days alone, singing nonsense to himself. Yeti would go and pick fights with humans or monsters, and be upset for days when he won. Feather Circle sometimes visited the mortal hospitals, and cried with the nurses for the lives they couldn't save. Garuda ruled a kingdom of one, holding a court with no courtiers. Ghost floated here and there, to graveyeards and killing grounds trying to show lost souls how to leave. Nymph moved from lover to lover, seeking some nameless satisfaction. Ladybug listened and learned all she could, trying to see the signs she'd missed. Even Yan, who devoted so much time to watching and helping and keeping the balance, sometimes stopped and prayed and sighed when there was no answer.

The others all worried about a lot of things. But that wasn't Mu's concern. Another tenent- care for what's yours.

Mu had dreams, sometimes. Dreams where she was running on two feet, and tired from fighting, but there was still too much to do and though it hurt to run it hurt more not to. Sometimes she saw others, and they looked so tired and so beaten she wondered why they kept moving, but they were smiling. Sometimes she dreamed of being on four feet, and watching her two-feet run through smoke and ringing metal. Sometimes, she even spoke with her then-self, and she asked her two-feet why she did it, why did she keep fighting, didn't she see it couldn't be changed? And two-feet replied that she could if she tried.

The two-feet then-Mu cried in those dreams, because she knew it wasn't true. And Mu cried because she didn't understand.

But it wasn't Mu's to worry about now. And even if it was, there would be no sense worrying about it. Now was the moment, and the moment was obeying Yan's request to watch the young mage and drive him to Lindblum. After that, he wouldn't be hers to care for, and she'd let him find his destiny. If he was in the forest again, she'd know, and she'd watch, and she'd let him worry about acting.

As she leapt to another tree limb, Mu concentrated hard on the mage, listening to his pulse, letting it drown out the faint sound of smoke and crying.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Dream Within**

**Chapter 4**

Vivi was starting to dread sunlight.

No matter that it wasn't hurtful on purpose, and that everyone else needed the sun- Vivi couldn't help but dislike it. Now, granted, he usually was a bit more charitable towards the daystar, but usually he wasn't missing half his clothes and feeling his skin burn from where the light found the tears in the clothes he did have. And of course the breeze- feeling vindictive- moved his shirt in the air, which meant moving the location of the tears around, which meant more burning on more skin. Hooray.

He'd had to tuck his hands into his sleeves to cover them. He had just left the cover of the forest, and was sorry to say there seemed to be no more shade in sight. The sun looked like it was going to be having a field day, too; bright and hot. There was no city in sight, the Mist blocking the far-off view of Lindblum.

Needless to say, Vivi was not having a good day. He was sore already from walking, getting tired of casting at Mist monsters, and the sunburn was making his back itch and sting. At least the breeze felt good. He usually couldn't feel much of a breeze, shrouded in oversize clothes as he was. Good to know some good was coming out of his discomfort, at least. Vivi sighed, and continued to walk. It was a long way towards Lindblum. For a single moment, a breath of wind passed him by, rising out of the southeast, along the mountainside. It carried with it the smell of sea salt, of grass and green things...

...and the unmistakable silvery tang of White Magic.

Vivi halted, stopped dead in his tracks. Magic was a near tangible thing to his senses, and every mage and magic had a different feel.

And what the wind had brought him was most definitely a breath of Dagger's magic healing. Vivi stood on the tips of his toes, and sucked in a deep breath, letting the air slide over his teeth and tongue even as he breathed in through his nose. Magic hid in the cracks, slipped between sight-sound and smell-taste, and though the source was too far away to see or hear, the silver on the wind brought with it the memory of bright white light-burned onto the backs of his eyelids, and the chimes of Dagger's castings.

And, yes, faint on the wind but more real than memories- the clank of metal armor.

That clinched it. Dagger and Steiner were on the plains, and close by. And where Dagger was, Zidane was, too. Vivi concentrated on the sound and half-sense alike, and turned slowly to the East, making sure his companions were as close to being directly in front of him as he could get before starting in their direction. He didn't know why they weren't in Lindblum, but, maybe they had completed their business there. Even more unlikely, perhaps they had landed the airship and gone to look for him?

A slow blush- invisible, but there- worked its way to Vivi's cheeks. He didn't dare to hope that was the case, but the thought that they would care so much for him warmed his heart. He picked up his pace, heading towards the land-based entrance of South Gate as fast as he could.

He hoped one of them still had his coat.

South Gate loomed before them, the guards on watch just out of sight. Steiner stopped, then heaved the large, mostly empty bag off his shoulder.

"Princess, we've arrived. We cannot proceed further until we've got you out of sight."

Garnet sighed, dreading this moment, as much as she wished to be home. Sure, it had been her idea to come this way, and yes, it had been her idea to hide under the cloying smell of Gyshal pickles, but that didn't mean she had to like it. Why Steiner loved the horrible things, she would never puzzle out. She nodded, then walked over to where Steiner was already opening the bag. Lining the bottom was a collection of old clothes and equipment, to obscure the Princess' form from within the bag. Also in the large sack was a tightly sealed, second bag, this one carrying the infamous snack. Steiner lifted the Gyshal bag out, then held the larger sack open while Garnet stepped inside. Then she curled up, trying to get comfortable. It seemed impossible- between her Rod pressing into her thigh, and accidently smacking her forehead on one of Steiner's spare helmets, it looked to be quite the uncomfortable ride, to say nothing of the pickles.

"Steiner, you still recall the phrase, yes?"

"Of course, Princess!" He cleared his throat, then recited, "'Tis foolishness! If all were so easy, why, none would suffer in this world!" Garnet stifled a giggle. She sincerely doubted that Lord Alfon had ever intended Steiner's overeager, booming voice to be part of Marcus' friends. Steiner, missing the giggle but seeing the smile behind Garnet's hands, smiled himself as he lowered the now opened bag of Gyshal pickles into the sack. As an afterthought, he grabbed one to munch on the way. Then he reconsidered and grabbed three more. Smiling despite the gaggingly bitter taste, Steiner levered the now heavy bag onto his armored shoulders. He set off towards the gate with purposeful steps, thinking about his Princess.

His Princess. He shook his head. He belonged to her, not the other way around. She was his responsibility and his alone, and not even Beatrix could impose upon that, but she belonged to nobody but Alexandria. Ah, Alexandria...home. All the countries of the world held nothing in comparison to that word: home. Steiner never dared to try and write it- one for words was not this knight- but he firmly belived that every inch of Alexandria had good in it. It was peaceful and safe and good, and he bound up all the heart an old soldier could muster into his duty to it.

Once again he cursed that scurrilous theif who dragged them away from Home. There was nothing outside the borders that the Princess could want for, and no reason to leave! The Princess knew all she needed to about the neighboring countries, what she needed was to know her own. Hmm. Perhaps this trek through the countryside was not all for ill...

Steiner tried to supress a grimace. He was _not_ thanking that scoundrel. No. Not in thought nor in deed. Not ever.

Still, he had to frown. He never doubted his Princess' intelligence and capability to rule, but as for knowledge of her countryside, even Steiner had to admit she was woefully naive. She'd been taught since early childhood philosophy, history, the arts- every nuance of politics, of course. But as for how things worked outside the castle...? Well, at least this plan of hers showed that she was making an effort to understand. He honestly hadn't expected her to come up with something simple enough to fool the borderguards. Politics were horrendously complex, but the simplicity of their current course of action did indeed show improvement.

And, even better! Perhaps this little adventure would spark an interest in the outside world, in the Home country. Yes, that's the ticket! Maybe he could get a hold of Laudo, get him to suggest some books to her during on one of her frequent trips to the castle library. Steiner lifted his head proudly, renewed vigor in his steps. His Princess would make a wonderful Queen, someday. Home would be peaceful and safe and good, and he and his Pluto Knights would continue to serve-

Steiner almost tripped. Beatrix. He'd forgotten. Only the Rose General served the Queen. _When my Princess is no longer a princess, but a Queen... what then? Surely... surely I-_

The appearance of the Gate, looming stone and brooding borderguards, saved Steiner from whatever answer his mind could dredge up into the light of thought. He couldn't supress a small sigh of relief.

Pushing aside the worries of an old soldier, he steadied in his thoughts the lies he was about to feed the guardsmen at the gates, and marched up the steps.

"Hold it right there! What is the purpose of your visit?"

"I heard workers were needed to fix South Gate..."

Just out of earshot, Vivi was running towards the shadow of the Gate. He'd spotted the glint of sun off Steiner's armor, and redoubled his efforts to reach them. To his dismay, Steiner walked through the gate, long before he could reach the stone monolith. Veering to the side, out of the guard's sight, Vivi stopped and panted, hands on his knees. Anyone older (or perhaps just more worldly) would have been cursing, but Vivi just sighed. Straightening, he walked over closer to the stone wall, and leant up against it. That had definitely been the Captain of the Pluto Knights, and that meant that things had suddenly gotten more complicated. First, Steiner was alone- or at least it looked like he was alone. Steiner would never go anywhere without the Princess, so that meant Dagger was nearby- he'd already sensed that much, at least. The sack Steiner had been carrying certainly looked large, easily large enough to fit someone (as long as that someone was smaller than Steiner). Maybe he was smuggling her into Alexandria? But then, where was Zidane? And weren't they trying to get out of Alexandria?

Vivi sincerely doubted that Zidane would consent to being smuggled anywhere, so that meant he was either not with Dagger, or he was sneaking in his own way. He sincerely hoped it was the latter. He didn't want to think about his new friends splitting up. So, assuming that his friends were all inside the Gate, how was Vivi to join them? There was no way the Guards would let him pass, not without a sufficient reason for doing so. The fact that his hands were exposed probably didn't help- he could pretend that his face was shadowed by the wide brim of his hat, but there was no mistaking the inky pigment of his hands. Not the front gate, then. And Steiner was already too far inside to call out to. That left Zidane's way.

It seemed logical enough; Zidane wouldn't leave Dagger, and he wouldn't allow himself to be stuffed into a sack and thrown over Steiner's shoulder. If there was a way in without passing the gate, Zidane would find it- and since Zidane was nowhere in sight, that meant there was a way in.

Vivi took a step back and surveyed the wall. It was high, very high, and made of stone. Most of the bricks, though uneven and worn, didn't look quite loose enough to serve as handholds. He considered the idea that there may be better handholds on the other side- then dismissed the thought; with the guards watching, it was a moot point anyway. He checked the wall again. There- up high- the stone blocks were rougher and more pronounced. No secure ladder, sure, but better than nothing. If he could only get up there...

A fallen branch, large and heavy, offered the last piece of the puzzle. Vivi hurried over to the fallen limb, and struggled to drag it over to the wall. Precious minutes later- after two retries, when the branch tipped and and he fell off- Vivi had a secure handhold on the rough stone and was hoisting himself up towards the top.

From the top of the wall, Vivi could see several people milling about, a pile of rusting equipment and mechanics, the dark mouth of an alleyway...and no guards. Perfect. With one last push, Vivi was on top of the wall and quickly moving towards the back of the enclosure, intending to climb down behind the cover of the rusting airship parts pile.

_Oh...I sh-shouldn't have looked down..._

The resulting crash when vertigo toppled Vivi into the scrap seemed loud enough to wake the dead. Two men near the side entrance stopped mid-sentence to look over. "Hey, what was that!"

"Don't you try to change the subject, you're in trouble! Leaving the gate broken is a punishable offence...!"

Now out of sight of the main gate, Vivi picked himself up off the ground, biting back a moan of hurt. That had not been a short fall. He ran a brief check for injuries, and decided that, though bruised, he was still in one piece. After dusting himself off and re-settling his hat on his head, Vivi took a glance at this new area. It was much cleaner than the previous section of the gate, though smaller. There was a small stone building with a vendor hawking goods, a large, faded sign with an equally faded map tacked onto it, and the main attraction; a large, steaming train, with the golden bust of a rearing unicorn molded onto the front. The sheer size and sculped ferocity was intimidating, making Vivi shiver and look away.

And stepping onto the train- a glint of armor and a flash of familiar orange.

Ernest O'hallor was, to be honest, an easily frightened man. That's why he loved his job, running Berkmea, the train that ran between South Gate and Treno. It was above the Mist, and moved fast enough that any stray Mist monsters either didn't or couldn't bother it. And the only times it was stopped, there were plenty of guards nearby. Ernest had taken the job for exactly that reason (the pay wasn't half bad, either,) and in the 15 years he'd been loading and unloading passengers, he'd never seen a single incident. So one can hardly blame the man for screaming when a darkly colored, glowing-eyed thing hurtled out of the shadows and headed directly towards the door he was closing.

"A-AHHH! Demon! Guards, guards!"

Dagger sat bolt upright, Steiner simultaneously drawing his sword and taking up a defensive stance. A glance out the window confirmed that there was, indeed, something heading for the train, but one look told Dagger it was not a demon as the conductor feared. She gasped, "Vivi!"

Steiner was already in full guard-mode. "Do not fear, Princess, I will protect- w-what? Master Vivi? Where?" He leaned over, glanced out the window, and immediately told Dagger to sit down and cover her head. She did not take it well. "What! Steiner, that's Vivi, we have to-"

Hating himself for interrupting, Steiner nonetheless cut her off with a wave of his hand. "I will retrive him, but the guards are coming! They must not see you!" With that, he spun on one heel and shouldered his way to the front of the train, the terrified Ernest giving him a wide berth. Dagger flushed, wishing she'd remembered the guards first, but obediently tucked down behind the seat. She could easily hear Steiner clanking his way to the front, then politely asking the conductor to open the door. "Th-the child is not a demon, you ingrate! He is- my traveling companion! We didn't know if he was going to Treno, but it seems he's changed his mind! Open the door!"

Vivi, standing outside the still closed door, could still hear the rattling bellows of the Captain of the Pluto Knights. Everyone could- the captain was loud and the door thin, and it was attracting attention Vivi really wished it wouldn't. He could just see Dagger peeking over the window sill, and he wondered why she was hiding- surely she wasn't afraid of him?- until he heard the vendor some distance behind, speaking to a set of armored footsteps; "Yes, over here, hurry!"

Not good. "P-please!" Vivi raised his voice in desperation, trying to reach the conductor's ears through the glass, "I'm not a demon, I swear I'm not! I n-never hurt anybody..."

Dagger heard the mage's plea through the window, but she doubted the conductor could Not that it mattered- Steiner's rattling had done it's job, and the man reached over and pulled the lever to slide open the door. Vivi bounded inside and impulsively hugged the captain around the waist, even as the conductor leaned out a window and shouted to the approaching guardsmen, "F-false alarm! So sorry!"

By then Dagger had left her seat and made her way to the front, and knelt down with her arms outstretched. Vivi obliged, drawing away from the awkward but heartfelt pats Steiner had been giving his shoulders and stepping into the Princess' embrace.

"Oh, Vivi, we thought you'd-"

"Master Vivi, we are so glad to see yo-"

"We were so worried-"

"-that monkey-"

"Steiner, it was not Zidane's fault-"

"Excuse me? Could you all please return to your seats so we can depart?"

With a collective apology, the three moved their reunion back to the booth Dagger had vacated. Steiner resumed his position guarding the booth as a whole, and Vivi sat down opposite Dagger, tugging his hat down over his head. He looked up to see Dagger smiling at him, question already in the air: what happened?

It wasn't a long tale, and Vivi told what there was to tell with little difficulty, starting with falling off the airship and ending with falling off the wall of South Gate. Finishing his recollection, Vivi asked how the trip to Lindblum had gone. Dagger gave a sort of crooked smile. "W-well, I got to speak with my uncle Cid, he's a regent of Lindblum..." She continued, mentioning the Festival of the Hunt and how Zidane had been so hung over he'd lost the competition to one of his friends, a Burmecian named Freya. Following the Festival, she and Steiner had started back towards Alexandria while Zidane left to catch up with the aforementioned Freya. She pointedly left out mention of the Burmecian guardsman's arrival.

Steiner, keeping watch and listening with half an ear, spared a glance at the edited version of their departure, but decided that perhaps the tiny mage didn't particularly need to know. He'd seemed upset about the steeple-hatted workers in Dali for some reason, so the Princess deciding not to mention them was probably done out of concern for his feelings. Steiner gave a mental shrug. This would work out for the best, anyway. The kind boy didn't need to know war any more than the Princess did. Alexandria was definitely the place for him, far away from the poor influences of that ruffian. Yes, this was for the best.

The rest of the ride passed quietly, with Vivi slipping into sleep as Dagger chatted, and she herself following soon after. Steiner just smiled at them, shifting his shoulders more comfortable into his armor, and waiting out the slow climb to the Summit Station.

"Summit Station!" The Conductor was calling. Steiner woke with a snort, quickly glancing towards the still-sleeping forms of Vivi and the Princess. He'd fallen asleep! Thank goodness his charges hadn't seen. He could not allow himself to be a bad example. He decided to make up for his lapse by being extra-courteous.

With a gentle shake, Steiner woke the two passengers. "Pri- Miss Dagger, Master Vivi, we've arrived." Seeing them awake, he lumbered over towards the conductor, who tried not to shrink back. Dagger and Vivi stepped off the train to the end of Steiner's florid, courtly apology for yelling earlier. The conductor just looked confused, and Dagger had to stifle a laugh.

Vivi took a look around while Dagger and Captain Steiner were talking. The station looked interesting enough, but really, Vivi felt like he couldn't be bothered to appreciate it. He'd taken a nap on the train, but he felt more tired now than he had earlier. He had gotten a bit more exercise than what he was used to, he supposed, but...

Vivi flexed his fingers, balling them into a fist and back. His limbs felt heavy, a not-quite-numb sense of disconnect. The only thing that felt nearby was the occasional twinge from his sunburned skin. Tucking his hands into his sleeves hadn't saved them; his finders itched and stung. He closed them into a fist and back, curl, uncurl. He felt sick inside, and shuddered as he felt his stomach start to twist. He glanced up in time to see Dagger motioning him towards the rest area; she was mouthing something, but the sound seemed so far away he couldn't make it out. She and Steiner walked into the rest area, confident he would follow.

Vivi started to walk after them, but stopped after a few steps. His eyes felt fogged- colors were running like a wet painting, moving and swirling and making him dizzy. Something twisted inside, and he gagged. Sound was everywhere now- pressing close and smothering loud TOO LOUD STOP

**Wind and**_It's so loud _**Water sky-ocean **_where's it _**listen**_coming _**to the life**_from stop it stop _**Earth and **_it _**Fire**_it hurts please _**world-core **_its in my head get _**feel**_out get out don't _**spirit-beat**_want this Zidane help _**echo**_me Grandpa _**cloud**_it _**deep**_hurts_**earth**_ please_**blaze**_ Zidane make _**bound be binding **_it stop_

Another twist.

**bound be binding breathandviens bound be binding heartandbone bound be binding then-dead now-dead then-life now-life**

_twist_

"H-hey kid! Kiddo! ...Vivi!"

It stopped. Vivi opened his eyes with a gasp.

To be met with a round pink face, red nose, and scruffy chin. Cinna. He looked a bit freaked out; eyes wide, hat in dissarray. When he saw Vivi's eyes open he let out the breath he'd been holding in a whoosh. "Geeze, Vivi, you okay?"

Vivi blinked, made the start of an 'ah' sound in his throat. A rougher voice came from behind him, and Vivi realized that he was leaning back, almost sitting, being held against someone.

"Thought you were havin' some kind of a fit. You alright?" That would be Marcus. Seeing Vivi was moving, he shifted around to face him, kneeling near Cinna, keeping his large hand on Vivi's shoulder should he relapse.

Vivi nodded, out of habit pulling his hat down further on his head. "Y-yeah, I was just...I got really dizzy all of a sudden." Cinna frowned, and opened his mouth to speak when the sound of ratting armor and a gasp emanated from the archway. "You! What have you done to Master Vivi?"

Marcus turned, then offered a crooked grin. "Hey, check it out, it's the Princess."

The ensuing argument, which started between Steiner and Marcus and ended with Dagger and Steiner, was not pleasant. The Captain was ratting his armor more than ever, anger in every nervous twitch. Vivi didn't find it at all amusing, though Marcus and Cinna seemed to; they kept offering commentary and wry remarks. It didn't end until Dagger started berating Steiner right in front of everyone, and Vivi could see that the tone Dagger was using hurt more than the embarassment ever could. Vivi felt sick again, though this time from guilt instead of some phantom malady. He stayed silent until they were boarding the train again, Marcus and Dagger and a suddenly withdrawn Captain Steiner already inside. He was about to join them when a hand fell on his shoulder. He turned to see Cinna again, kneeling to be closer to Vivi's height.

"Hey, Vivi, if you need help just come find Tantalus, aright? We'd take ya in." Cinna grinned, his pale pink skin suddenly reminding Vivi of his Grandpa more than anything. "Our headquarter's in the Theater District in Lindblum. Take care of yourself!"

Vivi nodded, then boarded the train. He watched Cinna waving from his window as they departed, and returned the gesture. Cinna was nice, like family. Not like Grandfather Quan, but something close. Uncle, maybe?

Vivi dozed off to the sound of Marcus and Dagger speaking near the front of the train, and the troubling ring of Steiner's silence. The ride passed without interruption. If he dreamed, he did not remember it.

Captain Steiner remained distant. The words of his charge rankled, and he could still feel his ears burning, mercifully covered by his helmet. Eventually, the feeling passed, resigned into a tight ball of nerves in his gut. He glanced at the slumbering form on the seat next to him, face a black mask in sleep. He'd heard the shouts, and assumed something bad had happened. What else, in the presence of theives, could occur? It had been his mistake. Master Vivi seemed fine.

Still...

Something was bothering the Captain of the Knights of Pluto, and with a start he knew what it was. The math wasn't adding up.

Vivi had fallen from the airship in the early morning. Later that day was when they had spoken to the Regent, and the day after was the Festival and their departure. It was now the evening of the third day after leaving Lindblum- but Master Vivi had professed to waking up that morning. There were at least two days missing from Vivi's recollection.

Steiner felt a thin chill shudder up his spine, and for the life of him could not explain why.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Dream Within**

**Chapter 5**

Dark City Treno, the city of lights.

The one place on all the Mist continent where the party never stopped and the lights never faded, new stars born every night and all the shadows old as time to skulk around in. The place where the fighting instinct had not been lost by the populace, just bred into ferreting, cloak-and-dagger dances, both in intrigue and more literal applications.

Vivi had been here before, always up until the last with his Grandpa, so while the cityscape was nothing new to him on the surface, he hadn't ever really known it. He'd stayed in the little pools of light, doing his best not to be swept away by the bright currents of the nobility nor be dragged down by the undertow of the desperate and destitute. Marcus of course had been here, lived here even, and the sneer that dragged itself across his face left no question as to which side of the streetlights he'd been on.

Dagger and Captain Steiner, however, had never before walked this city's beat. The two of them gazed with wide eyes at the lights, the sounds, and the relentless thudding heartbeat of a living, breathing night. They shared none of Marcus' scorn or Vivi's quiet caution, and their expressions showed it. Marcus scoffed.

"...let's just steal the Supersoft and get this over with."

Of course, anyone who has spent five minutes in the company of Adelbert Steiner knows that this was the wrong thing to say. Dagger sighed at the first exclamation of "Thief!", then rolled her eyes and accepted the inevitable. Instead of berating her guardian, she turned to Vivi and, grasping his hand, whispered, "Come on, let's get going before they really start in on each other. I'm sure we can find you a new jacket while we look for the Supersoft..."

The Waterside Cafe and Restaurant catered only to the highest nobility, and even if it hadn't had an employ of armed guards to ensure the distance of any of the lower class, it's quite likely that none of the so-called 'ruffians' would have particularly enjoyed the food there anyway. Lacy, three-course meals full of such features as spun-sugar roses, tongue of beef, vegetables carved into little statues, and specialty Alexandrian wines that were cloyingly sweet or gaggingly dusty. Nobility, it would seem, is an aquired taste.

_'Ugh, how awful. What is wrong with these people? One would think the rich and powerful could afford better taste.'_

Sitting alone at one of the tables was a young noble that none of the regular patrons had ever seen, but he was immaculately dressed and arrogant (and wealthy) enough to dictate how his meal be made, so that was okay. His sense of fashion turned a few heads at first, but after a few moments he seemed to blend in with the tables and topiaries and was forgotten. Quite an anomaly, at that, seeing as how the tables and topiaries were white and green and the noble was dressed all in red and gold, with green and blue accents and embroderies in the silken fabric. On his face was a mask of a bird, with a large golden beak and red plumage swept back into his hair.

_'At least they can make tea correctly, even if I had to practically map it out for them.'_

Garuda gave a quiet 'hmph' and took another sip of his drink. Hot, bittersweet, with a hint of roses and not a trace of honey. Perfection. He decided to do this more often.

Or, better yet, buy a teapot and make it himself. Far, far away from all these disgusting people.

"Aww, brooding in the corner all by your lonesome? I'd ask if you wanted some company, Garuda, if I didn't already know you'd throw that tea in my face."

Garuda forced himself to swallow his tea, but purposely did nothing about the scowl on his face as he turned around to greet the speaker. Nymph was standing not two feet away from him, clothed in her human skin and not much else. Thin blouse knotted at the chest, short skirt slit up the sides and matching high-heeled, strappy shoes. Between her manner of dress, her green hair and smattering of glitter, she looked very glamorous- but definitely not a patron of this particular cafe. Several of the customers were sending sniffs and glares in her direction as she sidled into an empty chair across from the glowering Garuda, but the male waiter certainly didn't seem to mind. She flitted her eyelashes and asked for something with a tiny umbrella in it. It took an inordinate amount of time for the waiter to leave and fetch it.

"Are you quite done?"

Nymph grinned cheekily at him. "What? Just having a bit of fun, is all."

"You are attracting attention."

Another grin. "That's the point."

"..."

"Oh, fine." There was an almost imperceptible shift in the air, and the sniffs and glares pettered out. Nymph tossed her hair over her shoulder in mock annoyance. "There. Happy now?"

"I have little to be happy about, dear Nymph. And neither would you, if you were in my position." Garuda turned his glower towards his tea.

"I can't imagine why, you're the life of the party, after all. So, what's got your feathers ruffled now?"

"The boy."

Nymph's fruity mini-umbrella drink paused halfway to her mouth. "What _about_ the boy?"

"There was something wrong with the binding process."

Quick as a blink, the conversation turned deadly serious. Nymph put her drink down and leaned forward. A thin shimmer curtained the tiny table and its occupants as Nymph put up a silencing spell, ensuring absolute privacy. "Explain."

Garuda sighed, pressing fingers to his temples. "There were no mechanical flaws in the spellwork. The accelerant to his adaptive biology and metabolic processes went off without a hitch. Yan managed to link the boy's identity to the Seeker's shard, and the shard to the conglomerate." Garuda raised hard, gold bird-eyes to Nymph's, looking for confirmation to continue. He recieved a blank stare- it was well known that Garuda was fond of his high language, but stare long enough and he'd break down into layman's terms. Usually.

When it became clear that Garuda was not continuing without a response, Nymph dropped her gaze and transfered her attention back to her drink. "So... that's good, right? I mean, that's what we were trying to do, wasn't it?" She frowned as she watched Garuda sigh and rub the bridge of his beak. This was upsetting him, enough to have dropped his cool demeanor. Even if the subject matter were not as inherently fragile as the boy, that alone would have told Nymph that this was serious.

"I know that was the intent. And it worked. But not quite as I expected. Something was- out of place. There was something wrong with the process."

"You said there weren't any mechanical failures."

"There weren't. The spells worked as they were meant to." Here Garuda leaned forward, lowering his voice despite the security of the silenced curtain. "But I think that the spells were meant to do more than what we designed."

"Sabatoge?"

"Perhaps."

"But there was nobody else there!"

"_Exactly_."

Nymph gave him a hard stare. "Is this an interrogation?"

Wonder of wonders, Garuda actually smiled. "No, Nymph, I do not suspect you. Your magic is not such that you could warp spells without my notice." Trust Garuda to turn a compliment into an insult. "But I'm afraid our fellows..." He trailed off.

Nymph siged and picked up the thread of meaning. "...are suspect, then. Only one of our own could alter a spell we wove together. Question is, which one?"

"That, my friend, is what we need to investigate." Garuda's lips were the bloodless curve of a preadator's beak. "I admit, I look forward to an eventual confrontation."

"Yeah? Got a list of suspects, then? A narrowed list, I mean."

He made a face. "Er, no. The problem there is that the sheer amount of power and subtlety required to attempt such a thing, altering a spell through intent without mechanical means... likely, it would require more than one individual, acting in concert. As such, narrowing the list of our fellows is, as of yet, impossible."

"Shit. That's gonna complicate things." Nymph kicked her feet up onto the table and leaned back in her chair. This was getting frustrating. this whole discussion was full of too many shadows and not enough trust, Garuda's declaration nonwithstanding. She knew there was more politicking among the Spirits than the occasional boredom-induced drama, and conspiracy wasn't beyond them, but on a project of this magnitude? Nymph liked to think of her fellows as a kind of strange extened family- bickering and argumentive, but when something big came along, they were right there. The chaos that was about to decent on their glow-eyed little sacrificial lamb should have been more than enough to bring them together for a few months. That it hadn't unsettled Nymph. "Okay. So we don't know who or how many, and we've got no immediate way of find that out. If you did, you wouldn't have told me about any of this."

"Correct."

Nymph shot him a rude glance. She had no illusions about which part of that sentence he'd agreed with. "Great. Then what do we do? Watch and wait?"

"You are an astute learner. That is precisely what we will do."

"Fine. We'll split 'em up and each watch half. Dibs on Yeti, he's entertaining."

Garuda frowned in thought. "That is... not quite what I had in mind. We need to watch our fellows, yes, but do you not think it prudent to devote the lion's share of our attention to the boy?"

Nymph flipped her tresses and gave Garuda an odd look. "Isn't that what we're already doing? Hell, Mu's probably escorting him through the forest right now. Yan said--"

"I know what Yan said to do, and we'll do it. But that doesn't preclude us from watching a bit more carefully. If we can observe outward signs of the spell's effects, we might be able to figure what exactly went awry."

"And if we know _what_ happened," Nymph followed with a nod, "then we'll have an idea _who_ would have wanted to do it. I get what you're saying." She took a sip of her drink and nearly choked on it, eyes focused on something over the rim of her glass. "S-speaking of..."

Garuda raised a brow over his mask, then turned to follow her gaze. Walking down the path near the restaurant was a woman in an orange jumpsuit, keeping her steps small to accomodate the much shorter figure beside her. Vivi had his inky hand holding tightly to Dagger's grip to keep from being swept away by crowds or nerves, and as they passed by the table with the spirits the boy turned his head to look-- but the charm held, and his lampglow eyes slid past a suddenly hushed Garuda and Nymph. Dagger leaned down to say something to him, pointing at a nearby small clothing shop and guiding the mage over towards it.

Nymph let out a careful breath, then turned to her companion and forced a grin. "He almost saw us. He's gonna be a tricky little lamb, isn't he?" She sighed when Garuda said nothing. "Alright, alright, jokes aside. I guess we'd better see to him. Flip you for it?"

Garuda nodded, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a single Gil. He positioned it onto his thumb, and glanced back at the vanishing form of Vivi and his escort. "Heads, I take the boy. Tails, you do it." At Nymph's nod he flicked his tumb up, and both spirits turned to watch the golden circle of Fate rise up, then fall to the table with a silvery Ping!

And the matter was decided.


End file.
